Fesco employees took out protest rally and blocked the traffic on Jaranwala Road for six hours to release two colleagues, who were kidnapped and detained in Central Jail Faisalabad, when they were trying to cut off electricity supply for recovering outstanding amounts of Fesco bills, here on Friday morning.
Protestors have burnt old tyres and raised slogans against Jail Authority; however, both detained employees were released, when breaking news telecast by the electronic media. According to details, the central jail was defaulter of Rs.1.1 million and Fesco team disconnected the connection, as jail officials failed to clear the dues despite of repeated reminders.
This action irritated the jail superintendent who locked the team in jail. As another team headed by SDO Inam Ullah went for negotiation, the jail officials also hijacked it and refused to release the Fesco employees till the restoration of electricity supply.
Fesco employees rushed there and started protestation on Faisalabad Jaranwala road in front of Central Jail. The Fesco employees also blocked this intercity road, which forced the jail officials to release the kidnapped employees. During this protestation the vehicular traffic on Faisalabad Jaranwala road also remained blocked for more than six hours.
Meanwhile Mian Rasheed Ahmed, General Secretary Wapda Hydro Electric labour Union is strongly resented against this high handedness of jail officials and demanded strict action against the culprits. He said that Fesco has launched a campaign to recover the arrears from chronic defaulters. He said that at present around 19 federal as well as provincial departments have to pay Rs.130.3 million.
Central Jail is also defaulter of Rs.1.1 million while Fesco have already disconnected electricity connections of TMA Lyallpur Town, TMA Jaranwala, Irrigation and Railway. He demanded registration of criminal cases against the jail officials and told that Fesco employees have disconnected main supply to the central jail, as jail authorities were poised to get illegal connection from the main line.